Film cleaning and polishing apparatus



E. SCHNEIDER.

FILM CLEANING AND POLISHING APPARATUS. APPLICATION HLED MAR-23.1918.

1 ,406,690. Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

3 SHEET SSHEET INVENTQR BY I 1 7 k AT'TORNEY E. SCHNEIDER.

FILM CLEANING AND POLISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. ms.

1,406,690. Patnted 1 011.14, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY E. SCHNEIDER. FILM CLEANING AND, POLISHING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR- 23| I9I8.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

4 INVENTQR AI'TORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBERHAED SCHNEIDER, OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y.; STANISLAWA SCHNEIDER ADMINISTRA- TRIX OF SAID FIBER-HARD SCHNEIDER, DECEASED.

FILM CLEANING PGLISHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be 1t known that I, EBERHARD Sonnrmnn,

'a citizen of the United States, and. a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Film Cleaning and Polishing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to cleaning and polishing apparatus for motion picture films; and it has for its object to embody in a single structure, apparatus which may be employed to clean and polish new film negative before prints are made therefrom, as well as to polish the finished product or positive and to renovate used film. New film negative is usually muddy and bears friction marks as a result of developing and drying, and it becomes necessary to clean the film and remove finger marks and any water spots or the like therefrom; otherwise, poor positives will result. The same may be accomplished, in the apparatus herein disclosed, without harming the most delicate surface, and the film given a high polish on the celluloid side therof. In the case of used film, the dirt accumulated thereon during operation, as well as grease and other foreign material, must be removed from both sides of the film and the same given a high polish.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a machine suitable for accomplishing the foregoing objects Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine; and Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view illustrating a modification.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the cleansing tank; and Fig. 4 is a plan thereof with portions broken away to expose the interior.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the cleansing tank with a film-moistening device sub stituted for the washing device, illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the tank taken on the line 66, Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figs. 7 to 9 illustrate the novel manner of applying the bufling material to the buff wheels; and Fig. 10 is a plan of the wheel shown in Fig. 8.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a suitable framing having arms 11 and 12 extending from the ends thereof, and carrying reels 13 and A, the former being the supply reel, and the latter the r ceiving reel for the film 15, whichis advanced through the apparatus to the said receiving reel by suitable sprocket mechanism, in manner well understood, A film measuring device 17 may be attached to the frame 10 and the film first brought therethrough. if desired, in order to measure the length of film cleansed and polished. Extending upwardly between the arms 11 and 19. from frame 10, is a further arm 13 carrying a roller 19, about which the film 15 may be brought in order to expose the same sufficiently to effect its drying after leaving the cleansing tank 20 and before reaching the bufiing mechanism, hereinafter described. The extent brought over roller 19 may be adjusted to suit the conditions met with by suitably fixing the length of said arm. I

The tank 20, wherein the film may be cleaned, is provided at the entrance with a roller 21, over which the film passes into the tank, and a further roller 22 is provided at the exit end'of the tank to guide the film to a wiping pad 23 through which it passes beyond the tank and thence over the roller 19. lVithin the tank 20, and substantially midway the ends thereof, if a further roller 24; and this, as well as the roller 22, is set in open bearings 25 secured to the sides of the tank, whereby the said roller may be conveniently removed. when desired. Above the roller 24- and adjustably secured to one side of the tank, as by means of wing nut 30, is a bracket 31 having two arms 32 extending above and upon opposite sides of the roller 24. Each arm carries a roller 33, designed to cooperate with the roller 2a. in passing the film 15 between same. It is preferred, however, that the roller 33 shall not be in direct contact with roller 24, but that the film is merely guided between the two upper rollers 33 and the lower roller 24L, the former regulating the required tension upon the film and frictional contact therewith by the extent to which the bracket 31 is lowered into the tank with reference to the roller 24. The bracket also carries a shelf or cover 3a in order to retard the evaporation of the liqbon tetrachloride, or some other liquid which does not affect, to any appreciable degree, the emulsion of the film. The film dipping device, hereinbefore described, is used, of course, only in connection with old film to thoroughly remove therefrom any dirt, grease and other foreign matter accu1nulated thereon during the operation of the projector, and the celluloid side of the film is usually placed upwardly for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the case of new film, there is substituted for the dipping bracket 31, as well as the rollers 22 and 24, a bracke member 35, which, likewise, is provided with two arms :36, each carrying a roller 37 adapted to bear against the celluloid surface of the film 15. As it is desirable in this case to apply merely a slight amount of moisture to the said surface of the film, the latter, through the rollers, is not depressed sufficiently in the tank to come in contact with the liquid therein. A chain 88 consisting of a plurality of hollow balls or spheres with an opening at the top, or like conveying member of large superficial area, is arranged to dip into the liquid and is brought over suitable transverse grooves 39 at the inner end of the rollers 37. In this manner moisture is conveyed from the tank to the roller periphery. These rollers carry a. suitable covering of felt or other moisture-absorbing material 40; and beneath same, longitudinally of the said rollers, are a plurality of longitudinal grooves 41 in the periphery thereof and extending outwardly from the bracket to the opposite end of the rollers. In this manner, the moisture, conveyed by the chain 38 to the said roller, is led through the grooves, and moistens the covering 40 to the full width of the rollers. As in the case of the cleaning operation, after the film 15 has been suitably moistened, it is brought through the wiper 23 to remove any surplus moisture, then brought over the roller 19 for the desired degree of evaporation and continued to the polishing device, the degree of moisture retained by the film in this position being sufficient only for the purpose in view, and may be suitably adjusted througl'i the position of arm 18 and by regulating the amount of drier, such as alcohol, mixed with the water in the tank.

The polishing portion of the apparatus, for which the film has thus been prepared, consists essentially of a plurality of buff rollers 45 adjustably mounted inthe frame 10, the upper of which and an intermediate one are power driven, while the lower are merely mounted to be rotatable on their spindles. mounted on suitable spindles 46, of which five are herein provided- The two upper and the intermediate spindles 46 carry iulleys which, through belts 48, are connected to pu1leys49 rotatable about a com- These rollers are all removablymon axis and driven by a suitable motor 50 or the like. Connection is also made from the source of power to the receiving reel 14 in manner well understood. The lower spindles 46 are so distributed that two rollers 45 may be located beneath the two upper rollers as shown in Fig 1, after removing the intermediate roller, said lower rollers having their respective axes substantially in the same vertical plane as the upper rollers. The former arrangement, with intermediate roller in position and as shown in Figure 1., is more particularly designed for use in polishing film which has first been cleaned; and the latter in the polishing of film which has been merely moistened and not dipped. The spindles, furthermore, are so mounted that the same, and the rollers carried thereby, maybe suitably adjusted vertically in the frame. To this end, lower arms 51 and extend from opposite ends of the frame 10 toward the center of the apparatus, carrying at their outer ends the spindles for the lower rollers, and being provided with slots through which extend bolts, upon which work wing nuts 54 to lock said arms to the frame 10. In similar manner, arms 56 and 5'? are provided to oscillate about the axis of pulleys 49, and carry the spindles for the upper rollers, which spindles, as well as that of the intermediate roller, are located in similar manner.

After leaving the buff rollers, the film passes through a final wiper 58 which re moves, also, any adhering lint from the buff rollers. This wiper consists of a number of pads upon which rests a cover 59 having a vertically extending pin 60, over which may be fitted suitable weights 61 to determine the pressure to be placed upon the film. The film is then passed over the sprocket and is taken up by the receiving reel 14.

in connection with the buffing rollers employed herein, it is preferred to employ the novel form of buff roller shown more particularly in Figs. 7 to 10, and wherein an endless band of suitable material, such as felt, is employed, the same being mounted on the periphery of a wheel 71, rather than made up of a plurality of adj acently mounted disk members of felt or like material, as has been the practice heretofore. By cutting transverse or angular grooves 7 2 into the periphery of said wheel at certain intervals, the band 70 may be securely held to said wheel under the necessary tension, as by elastic means fitted thereover, and thereby depressing a portion of the bands into said recessesor grooves. For example, elastic bands 7 3 may be employed for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 8, and may be attached directly or to transverse wires or rods 74 laid in the grooves and provided with suitable hooks at the ends; or, sprin 's Y 5 as shown in Fig. 7 may be employed. n

Fig. 9, spring wires 76 are shown, and the same are interlocked. In this manner, no adhesive is required to secure the buffing material to the wheel, obviating any danger of adhesive reaching the film, which frequently occurs where the same is employed. Moreover, no appreciable effort is required to remove a band of the bufiing material for cleaning or replacement. The grooves, furthermore, tend to induce a circulation of air for drying purposes.

I claim:

1,. In apparatus of the character set forth: a film, and film advancing means; a cleansing tank through which said film is arranged to pass; a bracket mounted thereon, and suitable rollers carried thereby to engage the film; and an endless chain dipping into the liquid of said tank and extending over grooves at the inner end of the rollers carried by said bracket, said rollers having longitudinal, peripheral grooves, and a suit able covering over the surface of said rollers and grooves to receive the moisture passing therethrough.

2. In apparatus of the character set forth: a film, and film advancing means; a cleansing tank through which said film is arranged to pass; a bracket mounted thereon, and suitable rollers carried thereby to engage the film; and an endless chain composed of a plurality of hollow spheres dipping into the liquid of said tank and extending over the rollers carried by said bracket.

3. In apparatus of the character set forth: a frame: buffing means for the film, comprising two upper buff rollers and two cooperatin' lower buff rollers; arms pivoted to said rame; spindles carried thereby to receive the upper rollers, said spindles passing through suitable slots of the frame; and means to lock said arms to said frame.

4%. In apparatus of the character set forth: a frame; buffing means for the film, comprising two upper buff rollers and two cooperating lower buff rollers; arms pivoted to said frame, and spindles carried thereby to receive the upper rollers, said spindles passing through suitable slots of the frame; means to lock said arms to said frame; pulleys mounted on said spindles, and suitabledrivings means therefor; arms pivotally secured to the frame, and spindles carried thereby for the lower rollers, said spindles passing through suitable slots of the frame; and means to lock said last named arms to-said frame.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 21st day of March, A. D. 1918.

EBERHARD SCHNEIDER. 

